Florida [U.S.], July 15 (ANI): U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday (local time) that it launched a new wave of strikes against Iran targeting military capabilities that Washington says have been used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The operation marks the second wave of U.S. strikes against Iran.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said, “At 6 a.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching a wave of strikes against Iran. The strikes are designed to further degrade military capabilities Iranian forces have used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.”
The announcement follows an earlier CENTCOM statement that U.S. forces carried out another round of strikes against Iranian military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and along Iran’s coastline, targeting missile and drone sites, naval assets, and coastal defense systems during a seven-hour operation aimed at reducing Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping.
CENTCOM said the previous wave of strikes concluded at 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, with U.S. fighter aircraft, drones, and naval vessels launching precision-guided munitions against dozens of military targets.
“U.S. fighter aircraft, drones, and naval vessels launched precision munitions against Iranian missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, and coastal defense systems during the seven-hour wave to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping and civilian crews,” the statement said.
CENTCOM added that the strikes occurred on the same day U.S. forces resumed a naval blockade of vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas. According to the statement, the blockade took effect at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
Reaffirming the U.S. military’s readiness, CENTCOM said, “U.S. forces remain vigilant, lethal, and prepared to execute operations directed by the Commander in Chief.”
As hostilities continued across the region, Iranian state broadcaster Press TV reported Wednesday that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran’s military had launched a series of missile and drone strikes against U.S. military positions in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, describing the attacks as retaliation for U.S. strikes on Iranian territory.
In statements issued early Wednesday, the IRGC claimed it had destroyed key U.S. military infrastructure, including a Patriot air defense system, a satellite communications center, and HIMARS rocket launchers in Kuwait. According to Press TV, the strikes were carried out under “Operation Nasr 2” as part of the IRGC’s seventh wave of retaliatory attacks.
Press TV also reported that, in a separate statement addressed to the people of Jordan, the IRGC claimed its forces struck hangars housing F-15, F-16, and F-35 fighter jets and destroyed several MQ-9 drones at the U.S. military base in Al-Azraq, Jordan.
The Iranian broadcaster also reported that the IRGC claimed to have targeted facilities used by the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported Wednesday that Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi condemned the Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, including strikes on infrastructure and facilities that reportedly injured Kuwaiti military personnel. (ANI)
About The Author
